Snake Rattle 'n Roll

"Huh....well, it is fun...."

There are basically three groups of games. The first is your undeniably classic games, such as Ninja Gaiden or Super Mario Bros. The second is your games that amount to crap, such as Shaq Fu or Heroes of the Lance. Then there is that enigmatic third group, the group of game that you keep playing even though they're no fun, or that manage to be fun despite their myriad of problems. Cobra Triangle for the NES is one of these games. The Super NES version of PGA Tour Golf, in all its (Presumably) unplaytested glory, is another. And a third is Snake Rattle 'n Roll.
Snake Rattle 'n Roll was a pre-Battletoads effort from Rare. Released in 1989, it starred two hungry snakes, Rattle and Roll, who were...well, I'm not really sure what they were up to. But it made for a decent game nonetheless.

Graphics: 7/10- They're okay. The game is seen upon from an overhead perspective, not unlike Marble Madness. The playing field is composed of checkered tiles for a large part of the game, which I suppose fits. Everything is animated well, and it's funny to watch your snake jump in the air and spin around whenever he gets hit.

Sound: 8/10- Truth be told, the music really isn't your typical Rare offering. Rather, it's music that sounds dangerously close to classic rock N' roll songs, such as (Obviously) ''Shake Rattle N' Roll''. For what it is, though, it's pretty good. Sound effects-wise, there's nothing really special here, but nothing that really detracts from the game either. Basically your typical NES fare, though your tongue whipping things is kind of unusual.

Control: 4/10- ACK! Here's the game's Achilles Heel. The problem is not that the controls are unresponsive; On the contrary, the buttons and pad respond very well. The problem is that the control scheme itself is very unusual. It plays exactly like the 45 degree scheme in Marble Madness, in that pressing right will actually send you diagonally down and to the right. Apparently Rare thought this would be easier than holding diagonals down for most of the game, as the game is viewed from a 45 degree perspective. Still, I find myself occasionally having to stop and go ''Okay, to make this jump I have to push what two directions?''. The traditional 90-degree control scheme, or at least a choice between the two schemes, would've worked much better.

Story: NA/10- I'm really not sure about it. I read in another review that Rattle and Roll are trying to get to the moon, though I can't verify it, so this section stays blank, I suppose.

Gameplay: 6/10- The game plays basically like this: Navigate some obstacles, stop at the pod shooting thingy, eat pods until your tail starts flashing, ring bell, go through door ending level.
Actually, you start a level rather small and weak. Throughout the level you can collect tongue extenders to make your primary method attack longer and eat ''Pibbleys'' to increase your length to the necessary point. You have to eat a certain number because you have to ring a bell in order to open the door to exit most of the levels. But of course, this doesn't come without the necessary annoying jumps and obstacles that Rare is known for. You can also find bonus levels and warps, if you're inclined to look for them.

Challenge: 9/10- It's really pretty easy up to about Level 4. Then they throw annoying jumps that are impossible to gauge accurately into the mix. And let's not forget those stupid anvils at crush ALL your segments away toward the end of that level. *Sigh*

Replay Value: 8/10- Hey, it's fun, despite the bad control. And they find new and interesting things to throw at you in every level, be it ice, underwater levels, or anvils. You'll probably play it for awhile before you get completely sick of it.

Overall: 7/10- Overall, Snake Rattle 'n Roll's good points overcome its unusual control scheme, though not without some difficulty. Still, once you get used to the controls, you'll find it's actually a pretty fun game that'll entertain you for some time. Given today's NES game prices, there are certainly much worse games you could spend your money on.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/26/01, Updated 06/26/01